I'm off to America tomorrow for two very good reasons.  First it will give me time enough to recover from jet lag ahead of next week's US Open and second it gives me the opportunity to play Pine Valley again.

I'm the guest of my good friend Dougie Heather, who runs the Darren Clarke Foundation, and I know we'll have a great time on what is normally top of everybody's best-course-in-the-world list.  It really is fantastic and although I've played there a few times, not for the last three years so I'm particularly looking forward to it. 

Hopefully it will put me in the right frame of mind to compete at Bethpage given that I've been having too many weekends off for... MORE »

There is a common denominator linking everything to do with my golf and related statistics.  It's called the putter... although I've been calling it a few different names recently.

I even resorted to the belly putter last Sunday, but that particular item was last seen circling the Surrey air searching for a helipad.   It will not be taking flight again.

There's not a lot more that I can do because my game in general is fairly sharp.  I've just got to keep at it and hope that eventually the ball starts to find the cup instead of skirting it.  It's very frustrating, but that's golf for you.

The weather across the Irish Sea was desperate, but I played nicely at the 3 Irish... MORE »

It's been a tough road lately and one which has produced more breakdowns than I anticipated, but I'm hoping The 3 Irish Open will see the start of my return to form.

Baltray is a great track and after the disappointments of both Japan and Italy where I only managed two days' work at each venue, it would be very satisfying to give home support something to cheer about on the east coast of Ireland. The wind will be a deciding factor because if it blows as it can then there are going to be a lot of swings tested to the limit as well as a golfer's patience and determination.

One thing which never varies though is the support of the... MORE »

I've been in a few bars in my time, but it's not often I've drunk in Last Chance Saloon.

That's where I find myself in Houston this week knowing that only first place here will be good enough to get me into next week's US Masters.   It's a pretty decent incentive I'd say so hopefully I brought enough game with me.   So it's either Magnolia Lane or Portrush calling me this weekend.

One of the things I've been working on in practice is trying to figure out why I have lost distance and I've come up with the answer that my hands have not been forward enough at address.   An assistant at my course Queenwood has come up with a device which... MORE »

The week in Miami for the CA Championship at Doral was more memorable for what happened off the course than on it.

The golf was pretty much as it has been for a while - I didn't play either that well or that badly, but there was one change.   I had a new caddy on the bag after a disagreement with my regular man Philip Morbey meant a parting of the ways.  I was very fortunate in that Mick Doran, formerly with Lee Westwood and Justin Rose among others, was able to step in temporarily although I'm still not sure what's going to happen long term.

The best part of Miami was... MORE »